


Something to Come Home To

by portraitofemmy, rainbow_marbles



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Care-Giver Bucky, Domestic, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Shmoop, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 08:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5577922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/portraitofemmy/pseuds/portraitofemmy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbow_marbles/pseuds/rainbow_marbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>There’s something about how Steve looks when he comes back from a mission, tense with that furrow between his brow, like the weight of the whole world is settled on his back along with the shield. Bucky hates it, it worries him something fierce to see Steve like that, all tied up in knots and obsessing over the mission he just ran.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something to Come Home To

There’s something about how Steve looks when he comes back from a mission, tense with that furrow between his brow, like the weight of the whole world is settled on his back along with the shield. Bucky hates it, it worries him something fierce to see Steve like that, all tied up in knots and obsessing over the mission he just ran. Bucky can practically see it, the circles his brain is running in unhappy loops, convinced he could have done more to protect civilians, to push his team. 

Bucky knows how Steve operates, that he’s likely to just go pass out in bed without bothering to eat or shower, or trying to relax at all, and he’ll feel like hell for it later. Quietly, Bucky steps over to him while Steve’s dropping his gear by the door, smiling tiredly at Bucky and offering up a mechanical, “Hey Buck, have a good day?” 

"Yeah, it was alright. How'd the mission go?" Bucky responds and puts a gentle arm around Steve's waist, herding him over to the dining table. It's a testament to how tired Steve is, that he doesn't even protest as Bucky sits him down.

"Went well, took care of the bad guys, no one got hurt. Took a while though," Steve says and hides his yawn in his palm before he rests his chin onto it.

Bucky hums quietly, brushing his fingers through the soft hair off Steve’s bangs, and bends to kiss his forehead. “You should eat something,” he says gently. “Want anything in particular?”

“No,” Steve says tiredly. “I can just have cereal or something.” Bucky suppresses an eye roll, because Steve would have to eat three boxes of cereal to not wake up hungry part way through the night.

"There's still meatloaf and potatoes leftover from the batch we made yesterday, I'll heat that up for you," he says and runs his fingers through Steve's hair one last time before he moves to the kitchen.

Steve is barely awake when Bucky returns with the plate, eyes staring blearily at the wood of the table and his head listing to the side until he catches himself and sits back up. It's utterly adorable.

"Here, eat it before it gets cold," Or you face plant into it, he thinks but doesn't say.

Steve eats mechanically, like he doesn’t even taste the food, like calories are an obligation on his body the same way sleep sometimes is for Bucky. Something that they need to function, but not something pleasant, something they’d chose. And that’s enough to tell Bucky how far down into the pit in his own head Steve’s fallen, when even his favorite foods are met with resigned acceptance. He slips away to start a bath running, and then is ready and waiting when Steve polishes his plate clean, taking him by the hand and leading him to the bathroom. 

"Bucky, come on, you didn't have to do this," Steve protest when he sees the bathtub is full, already foaming with bubbles. "I can just take a quick shower and then hit the hay."

"That may well be, but I've already filled the damn thing, do you want me to drain it and waste all the water and soap?"

It's a dirty trick, and chances are they both know it. But when you grow up with habits like "never waste hot water" and "don't turn down good soap because who knows when you'll get it again" it's hard to turn away from them. True, hot water is easy to come by these days, and so is soap. It's still the quickest way to get Steve to agree, so he exploits it mercilessly.

Steve's shoulders seem to droop even lower and he nods, starting to tug at his uniform, but Bucky steps closer and moves his hands away. "Let me take care of that," he says and kisses Steve on the cheek before he starts undoing all the zippers.

He works slowly but methodically to rid Steve of his tac gear, assessing as he goes. There's some already fading bruising on the trunk of his body, center of mass where punches or projectiles would’ve hit, and one tender red line along his arm which was probably an open cut, since healed over. They’ll all be gone within the hour, but they have to ache something awful now. Bucky brushes his fingers across his skin lightly and says “Just let me help, sweetheart,” before guiding Steve into the bath.

Bucky gets undressed as well, but instead of climbing in behind Steve like he had probably been expecting, Bucky gets into the tub in front of him. Steve gives him an odd look, but Bucky just smiles, takes one of Steve's legs and moves it across his lap. His sweetheart's been on his legs for over 24 hours and superserum or no, he knows Steve's gotta be aching, so he digs his fingers into his calf, massaging the muscle firmly.

“Don’t gotta do this, Buck,” Steve mutters, but he’s already melting back into the warm water and Bucky’s hands.

“I don’t gotta do anything I don’t want to do,” Bucky agrees, smoothing his hands across the hard muscle of Steve’s leg. He works down from the knee on both legs, and just brushes his fingers across Steve’s feet long enough for him to make a face and shift his feet away a little. Bucky laughs softly, bending to kiss Steve’s knee. “I won’t tickle, I promise.”

He works his way up to Steve's thighs, but makes sure to keep his touch light and not suggestive. Once he's gotten the tension out of Steve’s legs, he scoots closer and takes hold of Steve's right hand, his dominant one, the one that does most of the shield work, and gently works at the muscles in his palm. He repeats the motions on his left hand and works his way up and down both arms, until he's ready to get up and shift behind Steve.

They shift in the water, and there’s some awkward sloshing that makes Steve laugh tiredly and Bucky kisses the soft skin behind his right ear (the ear that used to be his good ear, way back when). The muscles in Steve’s shoulders are like rocks, and it takes some serious digging with his left hand until they start to release, and Steve groans quietly. Bucky lets his hands work down Steve’s back, sliding forward to rub at the bulging muscles of Steve’s pecs, and that’s what draws up a real moan for the first time. “Sore?” Bucky guesses, and Steve nods.

"Let me know if it feels like too much," Bucky says, placing gentle kisses over Steve's shoulder as he massages over the firm flesh in gentle circles. He alternates the touches with just running his hands over the smooth skin and pert nipples and he's in no hurry to move forward to a different body part. He's always been a little fascinated by Steve's new chest, almost built like a girl's but not, and so far Steve hasn't minded the extra attention he sometimes pays this area of his body.

“I can’t tell if you’re trying to get me hard or put me to sleep,” Steve admits, and Bucky smiles into the curve of his ear.

“I’m open to either option,” Bucky says magnanimously. “Mostly I just want to make you feel better, baby.”

“’s working,” Steve slurs, sitting forward a little and Bucky takes the hint, sliding his hands across Steve’s sides and onto his back.

By the time Bucky has gotten rid off all of the knots in Steve's back, Steve is hunched over, arms folded over his knees and head resting on his forearms, eyes closed.

"You already asleep?" Bucky asks quietly as he leans into Steve and nuzzles at the back of his neck.

"Almost," Steve murmurs, sliding back so he's resting against Bucky's chest.

"Should probably get you out of the tub then," Bucky says and runs his fingers through Steve's hair.

“I think maybe I should actually wash myself first, don’t think sitting in bubbly water actually did the trick,” Steve points out tiredly, and Bucky laughs.

“Hand me the floofy thing.”

“Loofa,” Steve corrects absently, but passes Bucky the bright green mesh and body wash, and lets himself drift as Bucky scrubs him down properly. The bath water is starting to get murky by the time all the soot is off his face and hands, and Bucky nudges him to stand so he can drain the tub, turning on the shower long enough to wash Steve’s hair.

Steve is practically leaning on him once he's got him completely rinsed off and Bucky carefully guides him out of the tub and uses one of their softest towels to dry him off.

"You want clothes or d'you wanna sleep naked?" he asks as he towels himself off quickly.

"Boxers," Steve answers sleepily and he makes quite the picture standing there, eyes a little glassy and slipping shut against his will, body slumped over and damp hair sticking all over the place from the towel.

All of the Captain America rigidity is gone from his frame now. He’s still stacked as hell but somehow his muscles look softer now, less like they’re trying to bust out of his skin. He looks like Steve again, and it makes Bucky smile, makes him duck a little to press a soft kiss Steve’s lax mouth.

“Wa’s that for?” Steve mutters, but he lists forward into Bucky’s arms anyway, letting Bucky guide him into their bedroom.

“I’m not allowed to kiss my fella?” Bucky retorts, practically pouring Steve onto the bed so he can go for the dresser.

"Y'are, whenever y'want, alllll the time," Steve slurs and his eyes are already closed, head turned into the pillow when Bucky comes back to the bed with a pair of boxers in hand. He's cooperative enough to help Bucky get his legs into the correct holes and when Bucky pulls them up and over his hips he immediately rolls over into a ball, sighing in content. "Thanks Buck," he murmurs.

"Anything for my sweetheart," Bucky says softly and sits down next to Steve, rubbing his warm human hand across his sides, down against the muscles of his stomach, until Steve's breath drops into the steady, even rhythm of sleep. "Anything at all."

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Years everyone! We wanted to give you all something short and sweet to finish out the year nicely. If you wanna find us on tumbr we're [portraitofemmy](http://portraitofemmy.tumblr.com/) and [girl3wonder](http://girl3wonder.tumblr.com/).


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